... WhatsApp

Radiotherapy Plus Chemoimmunotherapy May Help Patients With Advanced Esophageal Cancer Live Longer

You are here >> Home > Latest Updates > Esophagus Cancer Updates > Radiotherapy Plus…

Radiotherapy Plus Chemoimmunotherapy May Help Patients With Advanced Esophageal Cancer Live Longer

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common and aggressive cancer. Many patients are diagnosed when the disease has already spread or is locally advanced, making treatment more difficult. Standard first-line treatment usually includes chemotherapy and immunotherapy together. While this combination has helped patients, survival times are still limited.

A large study from China looked at whether adding radiotherapy to this standard treatment could improve outcomes. The study included 664 patients treated at 11 cancer centers between 2019 and 2022. All patients received chemotherapy plus immunotherapy. Some also had radiotherapy to the main tumor.

The results were clear. Patients who had radiotherapy lived longer than those who did not. Their cancer also stayed under control for a longer time before coming back. Median survival was 33 months with radiotherapy compared to 20 months without it. After adjusting the groups to make the comparison fair, the survival benefit from radiotherapy remained strong.

The greatest benefit was seen in patients whose cancer had spread only to nearby lymph nodes. For these patients, radiotherapy added to treatment gave much better survival. For patients whose cancer had already spread to distant organs, radiotherapy did not make a difference.

There were some side effects. Patients receiving radiotherapy had more cases of esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus), pneumonia, and esophageal fistula. But serious lung infections were not more common. Doctors say these side effects can be managed safely.

This research suggests that combining radiotherapy with chemotherapy and immunotherapy may offer hope for patients with locally advanced ESCC, especially those without distant metastases. More large clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Rate this post

Exclusive Health Tips and Updates

Dr Harsh Shah - GI & HPB Oncosurgeon in Ahmeadbad
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.